About

We have a number of opportunities for artists including The South West Showcase, Make Work With Us and Buy Art South West. These are the best routes into being selected for an exhibition, or to present your work through MIRROR. You are welcome to send us an email introducing yourself and your work, but due to the way that our programme is put together, we don’t have open exhibition slots available. Our open call opportunities can be found in the GET INVOLVED section of the website. We also announce all opportunities via Instagram so make sure you are following us.

We are really keen to get to know as many visual artists and curators as possible who are based within the South West, however our Curator, Hannah, works on a part-time basis and has limited capacity for meetings. The best thing to do is to send her an email (hrose@pca.ac.uk) saying hello, with a link to your website and a few details about your work.

We encourage artists to make the most of having an exhibition in the gallery and this might include selling the work that they are showing. We have always done this in a low-key way, artists manage their own sales and we take no commission. Our Buy Art South West initiative profiles artists selling work through a selected featured artist series.

If you are a contemporary visual artist based within the South West region with an established online shop or are planning to sell some work through Instagram etc please get in touch with us by emailing our Curator, Hannah Rose, with some examples of your work/what you are selling. Full details about how to do this can be found via the Buy Art SW page.

We are also keen to support and present the work of artists based outside of the region. This might be through group exhibitions, 'regional mix up' exhibitions with partner organisations, through the Make Work With Us project or in other ways.

Currently the way to propose an event is through our GIVE & TAKEOVER open call opportunity. This is specifically for events to take place in the gallery alongside current exhibitions. If you have an idea for an event that you want to make happen outside of the gallery space then please get in touch with our Curator Hannah (hrose@pca.ac.uk)

We have a number of curatorial strands and recurring projects that inform our gallery programme. Some exhibitions are selected through an open call and application process. Please see the individual opportunities for more details.

Our Curator Hannah approaches (and is approached by) curators and arts organisations to discuss partnership projects. Projects like this and our Buy Art South West project see Hannah draw from her own research and knowledge. Hannah works to maintain and update her knowledge through being part of different sector support agencies including currently as a steering group member of VASW, artist-led groups including CAMP and as a co-director of Artists Jamboree, and through her own practice as one half of the artist duo LOW PROFILE. Hannah is always happy to find new artists, so do say hello and send us a link to your website at any time.

We have worked hard for many years to ensure we pay artists and freelancers fairly and quickly, and continue to review this in line with best practice guidelines. We also work hard to protect artists fees throughout the process of working on projects.

We do not have space within the exhibition programme to rent our gallery for exhibitions that have not been programmed by us. If you would like to host an evening reception within our gallery, alongside current exhibitions, then we would be happy to discuss rates and details with you further.

We have various opportunities to get experience and volunteer with MIRROR for current students at Arts University Plymouth. Please see Get Involved for more information.

If we haven’t answered your question please do get in touch to let us know. We are keen to make this a useful resource and understand that there will be lots of things missing here.

Please email our Curator Hannah at: hrose@pca.ac.uk with the subject heading “Question for the FAQ”.

The MIRROR Advisory Group (MAG) meets three times a year to review the impact of programming and alignment to the College’s Strategic Aims of Social Justice and Creative Education. It is tasked with oversight of knowledge exchange, external partnerships, research projects and MIRROR's activities related to the wider curriculum of Arts University Plymouth. MAG is made up of the Academic Dean, Heads of Schools, the Gallery Curator, the Director of Development, the Head of Research and the Head of Brand and Communications. In addition, MIRROR benefits from operating in a culture of of advice and guidance through strong connections to the arts and cultural sector in the South West, with support and guidance from key organisations including Visual Arts South West and the Contemporary Visual Arts Network. Curator Hannah Rose took up her role on the VASW Steering Group in 2020.